A small and elegant Louis XVI style mahogany commode, circa…
click the photo to enlarge
A small and elegant Louis XVI style mahogany commode, circa 1930s, of semi-circular profile with a white flecked marble top and a brass pierced gallery and trim above three small panelled drawers, similarly decorated to the sides, with petite brass button pull handles and raised on square section tapering legs. Height 73 cm. Width 59 cm. Depth 31 cm

You must be a subscriber, and be logged in to view price and dealer details.

Subscribe Now to view actual auction price for this item

When you subscribe, you have the option of setting the currency in which to display prices to $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

This item has been sold, and the description, image and price are for reference purposes only.
  • Gallery - On furniture, a gallery is a small upright section, frequently pierced and decorated, around the tops of small items of furniture, such as davenports, side tables, and so forth. Galleries are made in brass or bronze,and be fretted, pierced or solid timber. A three-quarter gallery is one that surrounds three of the four sides of a table, desk or other top.
  • Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.

    Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
  • Circa - A Latin term meaning 'about', often used in the antique trade to give an approximate date for the piece, usually considered to be five years on either side of the circa year. Thus, circa 1900 means the piece was made about 1900, probably between 1895 and 1905. The expression is sometimes abbreviated to c.1900.
  • Pierced Decoration - Ornamental woodwork with part of the background cut through and removed to produce an open-work pattern.
  • Commode - The word "commode" when used to describe an item of furniture, has three usuages:

    1. As used to describe an item of English furniture, it refers to what is euphemistically called a 'night table', that is a small cabinet concealing a chamber pot.

    2. In its 18th century French usuage it describes a low and highly decorated chest of drawers for salons and reception rooms. A bombe commode is a commode with rounded sides and front, giving the chest a somewhat swollen look.

    3. It is also used to denote a half round or serpentine shaped cabinet, with panelled doors, standing on legs. They were pieces on which the cabinetmaker lavished his most accomplished art, with rich veneers, marquetry inlays, gilt mounts and other ornamentation.

This item has been included into following indexes:

Visually similar items

A French palisander upright secretaire chest. 136 cm high, 70 cm wide, 36 cm deep.

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A pair of French Art Nouveau bedside cupboards each with a marble top, marquetry and mother-of-pearl inlay. 83 cm high, 50 cm long, 38 cm depth

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A hardwood partner's desk, mid 20th century, the desk with a brown leather gilt tooled surface, the pedestals each with four drawers with brass swing handles and raised on plinth bases, cupboards to the reverse. Height 78 cm, width 152 cm, depth 90 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.

A French kingwood secretaire a abattant, the rectangular marble top, above a frieze drawer, below a fall front, enclosing a leather writing surface pigeon holes and small drawers, below pair of doors with parquetry decoration, on tapering supports. 142 cm

Sold by in for
You can display prices in $Au, $US, $NZ or Stg.